This is entirely too good to not share…
A buddy of mine alerted me to this video a couple months ago, knowing my deep love of TOOL. (Previous MTH-V on the band here.) While I was deeply skeptical upon seeing the performers, I was quickly impressed and the video has since stuck with me.
The performers in this video are students of musician, teacher, and entrepreneur Aaron O’Keefe. If only I had been able to participate in something like this when I was young. Although, if that were the case, I’d probably have stuck with the guitar and never touched a saxophone. An interesting thought experiment…
“Forty Six & 2” comes from TOOL’s second full-length album Ænima. That album launched the band into the mainstream and got the undivided attention of yours truly in the late summer of 1996, right before its release. While there are some metrical intricacies here, this is one of the band’s more metrically straightforward songs.
Not only have these kids put in the time and have the talent to pull this off so well, but they rock hard. Very impressive, especially considering the material and their ages. I’m not sure whose idea it was to have a female singer, but kudos to him/her. (Female vocals are a good substitute for singer Maynard James Keenan, given his style and range.) Finally, a special shoutout to the drummer, as attempting to fill Danny’s Carey‘s mammoth shoes is a great undertaking.
Enjoy…
And, for reference, a live version by TOOL from 1996: